A Sane Man in an Insane World

"I could design my own."

The words echoed in Lin Jie's mind like the tail end of a fever dream.

A blueprint not granted by the system.

Not handed down by gods or pulled out of glowing lockboxes—but something made from first principles. His principles.

Physics. Chemistry. Mechanics. Engineering.

He used to build laser resonance chambers for fun. He once recalibrated a university particle accelerator because the lab techs kept getting ghost readings. Surely—

"Don't get cocky, genius."

Yueru's voice cut through the tent flap before her boots did. She stepped inside, arms crossed, hair damp with swamp mist.

Lin Jie flinched like he'd just been caught smuggling snacks before dinner.

"I didn't say anything."

"You were monologuing out loud again. That whole 'design my own blueprint' thing? You sounded like a villain prepping for his mid-season betrayal."

He rubbed his temples. "Yueru, if I can crack how this blueprint system works, I might not need the crutch. Think about it: every single Lord can build stuff just by following instructions. But if I—"

"Can reinvent the wheel?" she snapped. "While barefoot. In a swamp. With nothing but wet wood, one spear, and no food?"

She stepped closer.

"This world doesn't care how smart you were on Earth. It cares about now. It cares about who moves first and hits harder. You think the regional chat's full of dreamers? No. They're building fences. Making trades. Setting up meat drying racks."

Lin Jie deflated. "…You saw that too?"

"Everyone saw it."

She knelt in front of him, serious now. "I know what you're trying to do, Xiao Jie. You're trying to think your way out. But sometimes? You have to live your way through."

A beat passed.

Then Lin Jie exhaled—deep, bitter, reluctant.

"Okay."

"You accept reality?"

"Reality accepted. Begrudgingly. With extreme prejudice."

"Good."

She straightened. "Now get your boots. Xiang Hua's back."

--

They met her near the treeline.

Xiang Hua stood like a woman built to break sieges, a pile of crude spears slung over her shoulder and sweat gleaming off her collarbone.

"My Lords. There's movement near the southern reed beds," she reported. "Something low to the ground. Not fast, but loud. Could be meat. Or trouble."

"Or both," Chen Dafu chimed in from behind, goggles down and hands greasy with bark shavings. "You want it dead, I can throw something. I have made spears for both Lords. You want it roasted, you'll have to wait."

Li Mei arrived quietly, arms full of mossy herbs and lichen. "I found edible roots and medicinal sprouts. But they'll take time to cultivate."

Yueru turned to Lin Jie.

"I'll let you decide, Xiao Jie."

He froze slightly at that.

"Do we hunt? Or do we sit here until the swamp eats us?"

"…We hunt," Lin Jie said, swallowing. "But I'm staying in the back. Far, far in the back."

Xiang Hua grinned.

--

The swamp made every step feel like a dare. Water sucked at their boots. Insects droned like tiny, angry motors. Reeds taller than a man rustled with unseen life.

"…Is it just me," Lin Jie whispered, "or does it feel like something's watching us?"

"It's not just you," Xiang said. "Stay close."

She crouched low, one hand brushing the earth.

Then she saw it.

Near a shallow pool—three rotund, bulbous creatures waddling on webbed limbs, their skin blotched and damp like moldy mochi. They snorted and burbled, tusk-like protrusions jutting from oversized mouths.

[Name: Mirehog]

[Rank: F+]

[Behavior: Territorial | Aggressive if provoked]

[Weak Points: Underside, Eyes]

[Drop Rate: Bone, Fat, Muscle Tissue, Bog Gland (Rare)]

Lin Jie's stomach turned.

"They look like someone overinflated a pig and then threw it in a swamp."

"Perfect," Xiang Hua whispered. "Let me handle the first hit."

She moved like wind over stone. One step. Two.

Then she launched forward with a war cry.

The spear struck clean—right under the jaw of the nearest Mirehog. It squealed, thrashed, collapsed.

The other two howled in rage.

"NOW!" she shouted.

Lin Jie panicked, reached down, and threw a rock. It whizzed past the creature and hit a tree with a thunk.

"Distraction!" he yelled.

Dafu hurled a makeshift net—a web of vines, barely holding. It tangled one Mirehog long enough for Xiang Hua to impale it through the ribs.

The third lunged toward Yueru.

Her non-blueprint slingshot made by drafu was already drawn.

First time activathing his skill [Kill Zone], she loosed a shard of stone with such force it struck the creature in the eye. It spun, flailed, collapsed.

Silence.

Then steam rose off the corpses.

Everyone was breathing hard. Lin Jie's palms were sweating like he'd run a marathon.

"We're alive?" he said dumbly.

"Not bad for your first monster encounter, Lord Lin," Xiang said with a smirk. "Didn't even scream."

"I screamed internally."

Back at camp, the loot system chimed.

[You've acquired:]

Mirehog Bone (x6)

Mirehog Fat (x4)

Muscle Tissue (x5)

Bog Gland (x1) 

Unknown Compound: Gelatinous Swamp Residue

Lin Jie placed a hand over the Bog Gland, activating his skill.

[Material Analysis in progress…]

[Bog Gland – Organic Core]

— Composition: 61% protein gel, 22% methane-producing bacteria, 9% bioluminescent compound, 8% unknown enzymes.

— Possible Applications: Fuel, lighting, low-yield explosives, marsh fire traps.

He blinked.

"…Yueru, I think I just found swamp gasoline."

"See? F-Grade spectrometer strikes again," she said, patting his shoulder.

But it wasn't all sarcasm. He could see the glint in her eyes.

A faint flicker of hope.

Lin Jie continued scanning.

The Mirehog bones were dense—ideal for crafting. The fat could be rendered down, maybe even turned into lantern oil.

Then something new happened.

[Torch Blueprint – Modification Possible]

Add component: Bog Gland

Resulting Item: Swampflame Torch

[Swampflame Torch – Emits brighter green-blue light. Can ignite gas pockets. Durability: Slightly reduced.]

Lin Jie's eyes widened.

"It… it let me tweak a blueprint."

"You didn't craft that from scratch," Yueru reminded him.

"No, but the system let me alter something existing. Maybe… maybe that's the path."

He looked up.

"I might not be able to create full blueprints yet—but I can study materials. Learn their behavior. Nudge existing designs. It's still engineering. Just with extra steps."

Hearing this, Mei handed him some sprigs she gathered from around.

"These plants have high alcohol content. Might enhance the torch further."

He scanned one.

[Swamp Fern – High ethanol content]

— Potential Modifier: Flame boost, short burst.

Another prompt appeared.

[Swampflame Torch+] – Unlocked.

New traits: Ignition burst. 2-second high heat spike. Can scare off weaker creatures.

"Boom," Lin Jie whispered.

Dafu leaned over. "So… our nerd lord can upgrade things now?"

"With enough time and parts, maybe."

Xiang rolled her shoulder. "Then we keep killing swamp pigs and making bonfires?"

"For now," Yueru said. "Until we can afford more. Upgrade the portal. Defend the perimeter. Build real tools."

Lin Jie nodded.

He looked up at the sky.

A single sunbeam cut through the clouds, scattering light over the reeds like gold.

"Today we killed pigs."

He squinted.

"Tomorrow… maybe I kill physics."

"What are you talking abot Xio Jie, the day is far from over."